Study of the Role of Vitamin D in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Male Albino Rats

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Physiology, El-Minia Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a very common cause of chronic liver 
disease. High fat diet (HFD) has been widely used to induce NAFLD in rats as obesity is a major 
cause of this disease. Vitamin D receptor was found in most tissues and cells of the body. It has been 
estimated that VDR regulates over 200 genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation, 
cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis besides the classical skeletal functions of vitamin 
D. Objective: This work aimed to study the possible role of Vitamin D on the progression of 
nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) in male albino rats and its possible mechanisms of action. 
Materials and methods: thirty adult male albino rats of local strain were used. They were divided 
into three groups; control group, high fat diet group (HFD) and high fat diet treated with vitamin D 
group (HFD+V.D). Serum liver enzymes, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and B Cell Leukemia 
protein-2 (BCL2) level in liver tissue were measured in addition to histo-pathological examination of 
liver tissue. Results: HFD diet fed rats showed vacuolated hepatocytes with necro-inflammatory foci 
in histopathological examination along with elevated liver enzymes, TNF-α level in their serum and 
reduced BCL2 level in their liver tissue. Meanwhile rats treated with vitamin D showed reduction in 
fat vacuoles in liver sections and decreased inflammation along with reduced levels of liver enzymes 
and TNF-α in the serum and elevated levels of BCL2 in liver tissue. Conclusion: vitamin D has antiinflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on HFD induced NAFLD.
 

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